INDIVIDUAL HERBS

NAME: SAN LENG - 三棱 - RHIZOMA SPARGANII - SCIRPUS - BULRUSH RHIZOME

Pharmaceutical Latin: Rhizoma Sparganii
Common English: Burr-Reed Rhizome
Bulrush Rhizome
Scirpus
Sparganium
Common Burr-Reed      

CATEGORY

Herbs that Regulate the Blood: Herbs that Invigorate the Blood

PROPERTIES

Taste Temperature Entering Meridians Dosage
Bitter
Acrid
Neutral
(Cold)
Liver
Spleen
3-10g
Tincture: 2-4ml

ACTIONS AND INDICATIONS

Actions Indications/Syndromes

Forcefully breaks up Blood Stasis, regulates Qi and alleviates pain

Blood Stasis with amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, postpartum abdominal pain and abdominal masses

Dissolves accumulations

Food Stagnation and Qi Stagnation with severe abdominal pain and distention

Regulates menstruation

Menstrual irregularities

Promotes lactation

Agalactia

CONTRAINDICATIONS, INCOMPATIBILITIES AND HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS

CONTRAINDICATIONS
  • Contraindicated during pregnancy.
  • Contraindicated for those with menorrhagia.
  • Contraindicated for those with bleeding disorders.
  • Use with caution for those with Deficiency.
INCOMPATIBILITIES
HERB/DRUG INTERACTIONS
  • Use with caution for patients taking anticoagulants such as heparin, warfarin (Coumadin) and enoxaparin (Lovenox) or antiplatelet drugs such as aspirin, dipyridamole (Persantine) and clopidogrel (Plavix) as concurrent use may have an additive or synergistic effect.

MAJOR COMBINATIONS

Rz. Curcumae
E Zhu
Rx. Angelicae Sinensis
Dang Gui
Flos Carthami
Hong Hua
Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren

Rz. Corydalis
Yan Hu Suo

Rx. Aucklandiae
Mu Xiang
Sm. Arecae
Bing Lang
Per. Citri Reticulatae Viride
Qing Pi
Massa Medicata Fermentata
Shen Qu

Blood Stasis with immobile abdominal masses and postpartum abdominal pain.

Pain due to Blood Stasis.

Pain due to Food Stagnation.

Rx. Aucklandiae
Mu Xiang
Sm. Arecae
Bing Lang
Per. Citri Reticulatae Viride
Qing Pi
Massa Medicata Fermentata
Shen Qu
Rx. Codonopsis
Dang Shen
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu

Rz. Curcumae
E Zhu

Rz. Curcumae
E Zhu
Rx. Achyranthis Bidentatae
Niu Xi
Rz. Corydalis
Yan Hu Suo

Pain due to Food Stagnation with Spleen Deficiency.

Qi and Blood Stagnation with clumping and accumulation leading to pain with distending pain in the chest, epigastrium and abdomen, amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, uterine myoma and ovarian cysts.

Food Stagnation.

Hepatosplenomegaly with distention, pain and immobile, palpable epigastric, sub-costal and abdominal masses. (only for strong patients)

Abdominal pain, amenorrhea or abdominal masses due to Blood Stasis.

Rz. Curcumae
E Zhu
Per. Citri Reticulatae Viride
Qing Pi
Fr. Crataegi
Shan Zha

Rx. Codonopsis
Dang Shen
Rz. Atractylodis Macrocephalae
Bai Zhu

Rz. Curcumae
E Zhu
Concha Ostreae
Mu Li
Carapax Trionycis
Bie Jia
Squama Manitis
Chuan Shan Jia
Flos Carthami
Hong Hua
Sm. Persicae
Tao Ren

Epigastric and abdominal pain and distention and pain due to Qi Stagnation and indigestion.

Epigastric and abdominal pain from Spleen Deficiency.

Splenomegaly or hepatomegaly.

NOTES

  1. This herb is most often used in combination with Rz. Curcumae E Zhu especially for treatment of cancer.
  2. It has been shown to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.
  3. It is good to treat severe Qi and Blood Stagnation.
  4. It eliminates old, accumulated, firm masses.
  5. It is primarily used for hypochondriac and abdominal masses.
  6. It is indicated for cardio-diaphragmatic pain.
  7. One source says that this herb reduces vital energy and is always used with Rx. Ginseng Ren Shen.
  8. This is a stronger Blood Invigoration herb than Rz. Curcumae E Zhu but E Zhu is a stronger Qi mover.
  9. Both San Leng and Hirudo Shui Zhi break up blood Stasis and enter the Blood level of the Liver channel. San Leng is bitter, neutral and also enters the Spleen and the Qi Level. It is stronger at quickly attacking and breaking up accumulation, but it easily injures normal Qi. It also relieves Food Stagnation.
  10. Dry-fried Sparganium Chao San Leng has its breaking-up quality moderated and its ability to reduce Food Stagnation enhanced. It can be used for epigastric and abdominal distention and pain due to blockage from over-eating.
  11. Wine-fried Sparganium Jiu Chao San Leng has an enhanced ability to move Qi and break up Blood Stasis. It is used for Qi and Blood Stagnation causing abdominal masses and accumulations.
  12. Vinegar Sparganium Cu San Leng has its violent, drying moderated and enters the Liver channel, strengthening its ability to reduce Blood Stasis and stop pain.